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Digital Subchannels and Diginets

Digital Subchannels Are Becoming Channels of Choice in Local Markets

Digital subchannels are offered by the broadcast stations in each market. They do this by dividing their bandwidth into multiple channels, and can run their own locally produced programming on these subchannels, or choose to run programming from either another network currently not carried in that market OR from a specific diginet network.

Currently some of the highest ratings for the subchannels are network affiliated diginets in markets that don’t carry all the network affiliates on the primary channels. The subchannels can provide programming from networks missing on primary channels in a market.

Some of the most popular diginet networks are the ones offering classic TV shows and vintage movies. Networks such as the African-American focused Bounce TV feature programming aimed at specific demographics. These channels offer an alternative for advertisers to the niche cable networks.

Top 25 Digital Broadcast Networks Ranked by TV Households Coverage

Network

Launched

Programming

Owner

Coverage

MeTV

2010

Classic TV

Weigel Broadcasting

96%

Antenna TV

2011

Classic TV

Tribune Media

88%

Grit

2014

Men

Katz Broadcasting

87%

This TV

2008

Classic Movies

Tribune Media / MGM

86%

Laff

2015

Comedy

Katz Broadcasting

85%

Escape

2014

Women

Bounce Media

85%

Create*

2006

How-To

American Public Television

83%

Bounce TV

2011

African-American

Bounce Media

82%

Cozi TV

2012

Classic TV, Lifestyle

NBCU Owned TV Stations

82%

Comet

2015

Sci-Fi

Sinclair / MGM

81%

getTV

2014

Classic TV, Movies

Sony Pictures TV

77%

Heroes & Icons

2014

Classic TV

Weigel Broadcasting

76%

Movies!

2013

Classic Movies

Weigel / Fox TV Stations

71%

Decades

2015

General Entertainment

Weigel Broadcasting

69%

Ion Life

2007

Lifestyle/Health

Ion Media

67%

Qubo

2007

Kids

Ion Media

67%

Charge

2017

Action

Sinclair/MGM

65%

Buzzr TV

2015

Game Shows

FremantleMedia North America

65%

Justice Network

2015

Crime/Investigation

Lonnie Cooper

59%

Retro TV

2005

Classic TV

Luken

58%

World*

2007

Documentaries, News

WGBH Educational Found.

56%

UniMas*

2013

Hispanic/Spanish

Univision

49%

Light TV

2016

Religious

MGM

45%

Rev’n

2014

Automotive

Luken

36%

Source: 7/18/17 TVNewsCheck “Optimistic Outlook on Multicast’s Prospects” by Janet Stilson
Networks supplied coverage percentages, except for those with asterisks (*), which were supplied by the Across Platforms consultancy.